Also Announces $23 million to Expand Bright Futures to Cover Summer Term Courses~

Today, Governor Scott announced his proposal to eliminate the sales tax on college textbooks as part of his “KEEP FLORIDA WORKING” budget. The price of college textbooks has continued to increase, often exceeding $100 per book. Eliminating this sales tax is expected to save Florida’s students $41.4 million per year. It is estimated that a student taking five courses per semester will save at a minimum $60 per year.

Along with the tax cut announcement, Governor Scott also announced that the 2015-2016 “KEEP FLORIDA WORKING” budget proposes to expand the Bright Futures Scholarship program by investing $23.5 million to cover credit hours taken during the summer term.

Governor Rick Scott said, “To make Florida the top destination in the world for jobs and opportunities, we must continue to make the dream of earning a college education attainable for every student. Eliminating the sales tax on college textbooks will directly help every Florida student with the cost of college by offsetting the rising price of textbooks. Also, by expanding Bright Futures Scholarships to include summer courses, we are offering more flexibility for students to achieve their goals. We are committed to ensuring every student has more opportunities to succeed in the classroom and bring them closer to their dream of a great job.”

The proposed tax cut of $41.4 million is in addition to the $470 million plan to cut state cell phone and TV taxes announced by the Governor earlier this week. Governor Scott will release the full “KEEP FLORIDA WORKING” budget proposal, which includes additional tax cut proposals, in the coming weeks.